Rose Weasley and the Singularity
by projectkeiko
Summary: Rose Weasley, Hogwart's student, technomage, and all- around black sheep, is ready to completely change both the magic and muggle world.
1. Chapter 1

Rose Weasley and the Singularity

My bedroom door swung open, and the eyepiece I'd been charming fell to the floor with a clatter.

The curse I longed to utter froze on my tongue. The look on my mother's face, which could be terrifying at the best of times, and took on a ghastly shade in the blue monitor light, almost made me forget the fragile eyepiece. Mother didn't approve of my "hobby."

"Rose, we have to be at king's cross by 10:30, tomorrow. Have you even packed, yet?"

"I've packed all of my clothes and books," I said evasively. "I'll be ready."

"It's past midnight, and you need to sleep," she said sternly. She ran her hands through her bushy mane of hair, deftly pulling it out of her face. "What are you doing with that thing?" she glanced at my computer.

"I'm just chatting with Albus. " I said.

"Can't it wait until morning? What could be so important that you have to discuss it at this hour?"

"We're trying to take over the world."

Mother didn't laugh, and I wondered if she knew I wasn't kidding.

After a moment, though, she just rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Turn that thing off and go to bed, Rosie. You can finish packing tomorrow."

"Good night, Mom," I said.

When the door closed, I picked up the eyepiece and turned on my desk lamp. Thankfully, the screen hadn't cracked. I let out a sigh, muttered the modified shield charm, and put the eyepiece in its pouch.

I made my slowly across the room, which was filled with old CRT monitors and broken computer chassis, almost tripping over a box filled with cables before I found my trunk. My mother cleaned out my tiny bedroom twice a month, throwing away junk almost as quickly as my grandfather could supply me with more- some useful, some worthless, but all given by a man with more enthusiasm than understanding. Still, aside from Albus, Grandfather was the only person in the family who really understood me. My brother, Hugo, and most of my cousins always called me "the mad muggle."

I'd just stashed the eyepiece before I heard my computer chime, and I saw a new message from Albus.

"_You ready for school_?"

I tripped over to my desk chair and typed a reply. "_I've shielded all of my stuff. Not sure if it will work much better this year._"

"_It will. Mom's on my case. See you tomorrow."_

I sighed and turned off my monitor. I looked over toward my old, brass day bed, and it's soft white cushions, and sighed. My eyelids drooped, and my muscles ached with longing as I thought of the springy mattress and warm comforter. My body was a bloody traitor.

"_Before you go, are there any potions prodigies, in Slytherin? Someone needs to invent a new wakefulness potion."_

_ "Scorpius Malfoy is pretty good," _was Albus's reply_._

_ "No good- too expensive," _I typed_. "Good night."_

I sighed, switched off my monitor, and then flung myself into bed. I soon fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

My ears were assaulted as I stepped through the stone wall, and onto the platform. In the crowd around me, people's voices blurred together into a rush, like ocean waves. I could hear the great steam engine pull into the station, and as I stepped away from the wall to let the others through, my eye caught the bright scarlet engine.

_The Hogwart's Express_

All at once, my body, which had grown long and tall over five summers, seemed to shrink, and for a moment I was 11 years old again, with butterflies in my stomach, wondering what incredible adventures awaited me.

"Cheers," I heard my cousin, Albus, say. I turned in time to see him nervously straighten the shiny prefect badge pinned to his robes. "You know, the ministry really are a lot of bloody hypocrites."

I smiled. "Don't let my Mum hear you say that. Why are the ministry hypocrites _this_ time?"

"Well, look at that ruddy train! If it's not a muggle artefact, then what in the world is? What's the difference between charming it to disappear, and a car?"

"Come to think of it, they allow the knight bus too, don't they?" I said.

"Bloody hypocrites," Albus grumbled again as my family tumbled through the wall, one by one.

"Rosie, don't board the train yet," Hugo said, his face almost as red as his hair as he ran toward us- heaving his wheeled trunk behind him. "Mum said to wait for the family, and say goodbye."

"We can't all stand here," I said. "Other people will want through, too."

"We're here," Uncle Harry stepped out behind Albus, and I did a double take when I saw them together. Albus was only a few inches shorter than his father, and their faces were growing more similar by the day.

Soon, all of the adults, and almost all of my cousins, were standing on the platform. I turned to give my mother a quick hug before boarding the train, and cringed as I saw the tears in her eyes.

"Rose, you've grown so much," she said, smoothing my robes, even though they were perfectly straight. "Take care of your brother, and write as soon as you're able."

"I will, Mum," I said. I turned to Dad before she could fuss over me more. "See you at Christmas, Dad."

"Write me, your Granddad Weasley, too," Dad said as he hugged me. "He keeps bugging your Uncle Harry to help him with his ifoam."

"It's an iphone, Dad," I sighed. "Don't worry; I'll write to Grandfather, too. By Mum, Dad, Uncle Harry, Aunt Ginny… goodness, Here comes Uncle Percy. I'd better go, or I'll be saying goodbye forever."

I waved and turned away, walking into the crowd of students.

As soon as I was out of my parent's view, I reached into my pocket and pulled out my eyepiece. Sure, it was a bit conspicuous, but a crowded place like the platform was the perfect place to test its augmented reality capabilities. I put the eyepiece on and pressed the button on the side just before it was snatched off of my face.

Hugo was holding my eyepiece, looking at it with a bewildered expression. "Blimey, what does this thing do?"

I stood as tall as I could. "It's just a muggle thing, Hugo. I'll have it back now, if you please."

Hugo laughed and put it on. "Do muggles really wear these? They make you look like an arse!"

"Please Hugo, give it back."

"Make me," Hugo said before dashing into the crowd.

Unthinkingly, I dashed after him, but a man in black robes stepped into my path. I tried to stop myself before crashing into him, but I tripped, and fell into his side.

I regained my balance, looked up, and almost fell over again. I'd crashed into Draco Malfoy. _The_ Draco Malfoy- ex death eater and powerful millionaire. He was a tall, elegant, imposing figure, with thinning white hair brushed back from his temples, and black silk robes, which were beautifully tailored. He looked at me with his ice blue eyes- no, he didn't look at me. Men like Draco Malfoy never look at people. He appraised me, sweeping his gaze from my prim mary janes, up my scarlet-trimmed robes, and all the way to my straightened red hair.

The butterflies returned to my stomach. For a moment, I couldn't speak, and then, as the seconds passed with agonizing slowness, I felt that if I didn't say _something_ to break the tension, I would snap.

"I beg your pardon," I heard my voice say. Or rather- I heard something like my mother's voice, with clean, proper diction- say.

Mr. Malfoy nodded briefly. "Miss _Wealsey_, is it?" he sneered a little, as he said my name. I swallowed hard, trying not to be intimidated.

"Yes- and you're Mr. Malfoy, aren't you?"

He smirked and bowed slightly. "Indeed, I am. Do be more careful in the future, Miss Weasley."

"Of course," I nodded to him. "Good morning."

I turned and walked away from him, slowly at first, but quickening my steps as I went. Somehow, I was able to find Albus without any further misadventures. After I'd boarded the train, I realized I'd run into the arm which had once held the dark mark.


	3. Chapter 3

I slumped into my seat on the train and closed my eyes, sighing- allowing myself a moment of blissful silence to empty my mind. Then, all too soon, I heard the door slide shut, and Albus spoke.

"Lily and Hugo have found their friends. I have to go to the prefects carriage for a bit, but first…"

"I'm sure everything will work, here," I said, pulling my laptop out of my satchel. "It's the castle I'm worried about. I'm going to work until we're at the castle, to make up for any time we may lose, there."

Albus nodded. "You're really serious about this project, aren't you?"

I opened my laptop and booted it. Despite my assurances to Albus that it would be fine, I bit my lip until the Window's logo appeared on the screen. "Yes, I am. TLDL 1.0 is the most important thing I will do with my life- for better or worse."

"With your whole life?" he took off his glasses, a clear sign that I'd made an impression. "How long do you reckon it will take you to finish?"

"50 years. Minimum. I will likely die before I finish it, at my current rate. Of course, we have to allow for advances in technology, both computer technology and life extension…"

"Rosie, you're-"

"Please don't call me mad, Albus- not you, too." I looked up at the screen and smiled. "I'm not the only one working on a project like this, but I'm probably the only _witch_ who is. I can guide the program better than the muggles, you know. I know what to look for."

Albus sat down and gazed at me, his eyes looking almost as intense as his father's own, war-weary ones. "Rosie, if something starts to go wrong, or if you feel like it's too much for you, stop. I mean it. It's not your responsibility to change the world."

"If I don't change the world, then nothing may ever save it," I said. Then I smiled. "Hey, Albus. I'm not alone. And I know you're looking for recruits to our cause. Thanks."

"Any time," he said. "I'll find talented people. I'm a slytherin, you know. Just don't lose that stubborn, Gryffindor head of yours."

"I won't. Now, go away. You have to do whatever it is you prefects do. I'll be fine."

"Yes, Miss Weasley," Albus said abashedly, but then he smiled, winked, and left the cabin. I was left in silence once more.

I put my hands just over the keyboard, and I closed my eyes. In my mind's eye, I could see lines of code, waiting for me to tune them, set them vibrating, or weave them together in a tapestry of logic. I could feel the rapport begin, and I could feel the computer begin to respond to my will. I opened my eyes, and smiled in satisfaction as I saw the words on the small, black emulator box.

_The Last Dark Lord 1.0_


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who is following this story. I'm actually writing this out of boredom, so I'm fairly flattered. Of course, I recommend you all read Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality, instead. The writing is better, it's an amazing way to introduce yourselves to rationality and transhumanism, and it's a more entertaining read._

A week passed quietly – or at least quietly by Hogwarts's standards.

Despite my high O.W.L.S, I was taking very few N.E.W.T level courses. Of course, I would have left school already, if I weren't still underage, and if my mother hadn't insisted I return. There was very little I could learn at Hogwarts that would help me in the future I'd planned for myself. I was taking charms, potions, transfiguration, and arithmancy to fill my required course hours, I allowed myself a bare two hours of study time a day, and I spent the rest of the day working on TLDL 1.0. I knew my grades would suffer, but it didn't matter. I wasn't interested in impressing ministry officials who wanted to dole out jobs.

I was delighted, my first day back, to discover that I'd finally managed to find a shield charm that would protect my electronics from Hogwarts's ambient magic, and still allow my own magical frequency access. The weather at Hogwarts was still warm and fair, so I spent my days outside, where I could work away from the noise and the prying eyes present in the Gryffindor common room.

My peace and delight, however, soon faded into frustration and fatigue. Even with my light course load, I didn't have enough time to work on my program, nor did I have enough energy to make the most of the time I did have. I'd run into several bugs, and when I tried to fix one, two more seemed to pop up in its place. My eyes burned from staring at a computer screen late into the night, and my neck and shoulder muscled ached from crouching over a keyboard. Even when I closed my eyes, took my hands off of the keys, and let my magic sift through the code more rapidly than human eyes and hands could, I felt drained and weak. I could only allow my magic free reign for an hour or so before I needed to rest. I was unable to perform even simple charms in class.

On Thursday evening I snuck into the Gryffindor common room, long after the other students had gone to sleep. I fell onto the couch before a roaring fire, allowing the heat to soak into my tight muscles, like sinking into a warm bath. The orange, flickering light, and the soft crackle of the occasional spark lulled my mind to peace. I closed my eyes for just a moment, and when I opened them again, the sun was streaming through the window, and students milled around me, rushing past with their arms full of books.

"Oi, did little miss perfect actually oversleep?" I heard my brother cry delightedly.

I sat up and checked my watched. It was only 7:45, but I didn't have time to eat breakfast or change clothes before potions. I ran my hands through my hair and pulled it back into a low ponytail, straightened my robes, and grabbed my bookbag, dashing from the room.

Fortunately, I thought, Potions was my only class that day. I would be able to shower afterward, and then grab a quick lunch before devoting the rest of Friday, and the weekend, to work. Of course, I was exhausted, but maybe I could let up my work pace just a little- after I'd debugged the first section of the program, of course. If I made sure to get into bed by 11:00…"

I was still lost in thought when I suddenly found myself in the potions classroom, facing the strict and demanding Professor Montmorency. She was a tall, pale woman, with long, sleek black hair. She was a favorite with many students, despite her strict teaching style. She had a strange type of charisma, and no small amount of beauty. Despite myself, I always seemed glad to be near her, and though I told myself school didn't matter outside of class, I found myself trying to please her during class.

"Good morning," she said in a warm, languid voice. I found myself sitting up straighter, and placing my notebook in front of me- ready. "We're going to review, today. I want you to pick the potion you have the most trouble with, and brew it, today. I have the homework you turned in on Wednesday.

She passed my desk as I was preparing my ingredients for the draught of living death. She passed by my desk and paused, placing a parchment with "67%" scrawled in red on top.

"Please see me after class," she whispered breathily before moving on to the next table.

I could feel my face grow red- unused as I was to failing grades, and I quickly stowed my paper away and turned back to the potion. "I doesn't matter," I told myself firmly. "You knew this was going to happen. You _wanted_ to fail." But I couldn't get rid of the chant, _stupid, stupid, stupid,_ in the back of my mind.

After class, I approached Professor Montmorency's desk. She smiled and beckoned me to stand closer to her, and I leaned over, smelling the heady aroma of amortentia, which clung to her skin. My breath caught, but she only seemed to smile wider, and lean closer to me.

"I don't understand how your marks can be so low, so soon," she chided. "You made an O on your O.W.L, and you seem to be mastering the practical potions, in class. How long do you spend studying each day?"

"Two hours," I admitted.

"You should study two hours for every one hour you spend in class," she reprimanded. "I expect more from you, in the future. I know you're capable of it."

"Professor, I'm sorry," I said. My head was full of explanations- of urges to tell her I wouldn't be taking my N.E.W.T.S, but they wouldn't leave my lips.

"Don't worry, professor," someone spoke behind me. "I'm willing to tutor Miss. Weasley, if that's alright."

I spun around and saw a blonde-haired, fine-featured boy. His robes were green- trimmed, his long hair pulled back into a ponytail like mine, and his blue eyes twinkled with amusement. I recognized him at once- he was Scorpius Malfoy.

"Thanks for the offer, but-" I stammered.

"An excellent idea," Professor Montmorency interrupted. "She only needs some encouragement, Mr. Malfoy. She really understands the material. I trust you will do the job nicely."

She smiled at us- or did she leer?- before turning to leave.

"Thank you again," I said when the door closed. "But I'm afraid I'm a lost cause. I won't be taking my N.E.W.T.S."

I turned back to look at Scorpius. I'd had several classes with him, but we'd never spoken, before. Weasleys and Malfoys weren't friendly, after all. I half expected him to hex me on the spot. Instead, he frowned a little, and sat on the edge of a desk.

"That's odd; Albus told me that you were looking for help. He said you wanted to study late, and required some potions to help you do that."

_Whoops_. Albus, apparently, had taken my request for a new wakefulness potion seriously. Of course, now I'd unwittingly belied his excuse to Malfoy. It _was_ his fault, for not warning me, first.

"Well," I said carefully. "Actually, I don't need the potion for studying. I have another project I'm working on. Don't be mad at Albus-" I added quickly. "I asked him to keep it a secret."

Scorpius laughed, his voice was clear and high, like the tinkling of silver. "Don't worry. I'm in _Slytherin_ house. I understand."

"Thanks," I nodded. "Listen, I don't have a lot of money-"

"That's good, because I don't _need_ money," he said.

"Well, I'd like to do something for you, if you decide to help me," I insisted. "With the potion, I mean."

He shook his head. "Miss Weasley-"

"Rose, please."

He smiled again, swinging his legs off the end of the table as though he were a little kid. "Okay, Rose. Just for future reference, you shouldn't offer a favor to someone who's already willing to help you for free. It's psychology- you'll change a favor into a business exchange. You'll end up with an obligation you didn't have, before, and the other party will, indeed, begin to see your return favor as an obligation."

I smiled. "I usually leave that sort of thinking to Albus. I'm more comfortable with the… the _technical_ end of things. People are far too complicated."

"On the contrary- people are pretty easy to figure out, once you have a few simple rules. Of course, some of their rules are pretty rigid, but there's _usually_ a way to get what you need, from them."

"You make people sound like vending machines," I laughed.

Scorpius, however, just tilted his head, slightly. "What's a vending machine?"

"They're… a muggle thing. It doesn't matter. I mean what I said earlier, though. I'm a pig-headed Gryffindor. I like returning favors. What do you want?"

"Simple. I want to know about your project. Albus doesn't lie, often, so this must be important."

"It is," I blurted. Then I spun around. "But- really, the less you know, the better it will be for you."

"Ah- so it isn't quite legal, is it?"

_Argh_- how was he doing this? I had to get out of there, before I spilled my guts on accident. "Listen, maybe this was a mistake. I should probably go. I have studying to do."

"Don't go!" he slid down from the desk and walked toward me. "Listen, I still want to help you out. I have some wonderful ideas about the potion, and now my curiosity is piqued. Let's exchange secrets."

"Exchange?"

"Yes. I can tell you a secret- a good one." He swallowed hard, blushed a little, but kept talking. "You'll have something to hold over me, and if I'm guessing right, I'll have something to hold over you. We'll be able to trust each other."

That didn't _quite_ sound like trust, to me, and I was going to say so, but he held a long, elegant finger to my lips, cutting me off.

"I won't take no for an answer. Meet me outside of the Gryffindor portrait hole tonight at 8:30."

He took his finger from my lips, and all I could do was watch him, dazed, as he bolted from the room.


	5. Chapter 5

When I stepped out of the shower that afternoon, floral scented steam billowing around me, I took a deep breath and let the cool air fill my skin with a tingling sensation, awakening my fatigued mind. Immediately, ideas began to flood my brain. I wrapped a towel around my head, shrugged on my bathrobe, and rushed through the bathroom door and into the girl's dorm. I grabbed the notebook on my bedside table and flung myself onto the four poster bed, pulling the scarlet curtains tightly around me. I cast a quick _muffliato_ at the curtains, jotted down my first raw ideas, and then let myself sit and think, uninterrupted, for 5 minutes.

I had decided, when I began to work on TLDL 1.0, that it was too dangerous to crowdsource the material- I wanted to keep the code out of the hands of unscrupulous or careless people. I realized now that large sections of the code would be innocent enough- I could crowdsource that code without worrying about who would see it, as long as I kept it in a separate module from the main program.

For the main program, I would need trustworthy friends to help me. I would never finish it on my own- I was already behind, and fatigued beyond all of my expectations.

Why did I always overestimate my own abilities?

I would have to find people, muggle and wizard, who could help. I would have to find a way to ensure my friends would be both competent and ethical. It would take a lot of research to find these people, but if I did it right, I would be repaid with hours of labor.

Also, I needed an investor. I needed to dedicate myself to the project full time as soon as I turned 17, and I needed to hire people to help- I couldn't rely on free labor from friends. Hiring people, and having the protection of a contract, would help a lot with my first problem. If Albus couldn't find an investor by the time I turned 17…

But wait- what if I could make money, and still work on the program part time? I could start a software company that sold some simple, legitimate software, and use the proceeds to fund TLDL 1.0. I would be able to hire talented programmers to work for my company, and if it were a muggle company, the eyes of the ministry would be off of my project, and I could still use my technomancy to create marketable programs faster than a muggle competitor. Albus could handle the wizard side of things, and I would be free to program.

I wrote down my ideas, and then decided to treat myself to a nice, sit-down dinner in the great hall, to celebrate.

#

"That's not a bad idea," Albus said, frowning as he tapped his fork against his goblet. The sound rang out briefly, and then disappeared into the din of clinking goldware and laughing voices that echoed in the great hall.

"You look like you think it's a bad idea," I said.

"No- I should have thought of it, first. Of course, you'll still need an investor for your company. It will be a lot harder for me to find a muggle investor."

"But safer-" I pointed out. "My- _method_ is illegal, if you'll recall."

He brushed this objection aside, as though they were the crumbs on the table. "No one I had in mind would care. By the way- did you talk to Scorpius, today?"

"How is that, 'by the way?'" I asked. "You're not asking _him_ to invest, are you?"

"I might," he said. "Why not?"

"He won't invest in a muggle project," I said. "His whole family are blood purists."

"Scorpius isn't bad, though," Albus said. "Besides, his family has backed away from the whole blood-purism thing, since the war. I think he'll be interested in TLDL."

"I guess I'll find out, tonight."

Albus raised his eyebrows, and failed to hide a smile. "You have a date?"

"It's not a date. You know I don't…" I trailed off, and looked around.

"Yeah, that's true. Don't worry, you don't have to say anything."

"Thanks. To be honest, he might think it's a date. He… he wants to know about the project, and he offered to share a secret of his own in exchange."

Albus chuckled, a laugh as genuine as the serious boy could usually manage. "Scorpius Malfoy offered you a secret? Either he r_eally_ wants to know about our project, or he has a crush on you."

I sighed. "This isn't funny. His secret is probably nothing- just a way to manipulate me to telling him everything. He's already guessed that the project is illegal. He has every advantage."

"But you're still going to tell him everything, aren't you?" Albus narrowed his green eyes shrewdly.

"No. I don't know."

"You should trust him," he said decidedly. "He's ambitious, and he wants to be in on something big- we're the best people to give him that opportunity."

"I guess…"

"Hey, enjoy your date with him, tonight," Albus teased. His shrewd look disappeared, and his green eyes sparkled with laughter, like they did when we were kids. "Swap secrets, charm him, and let's get this bloody project moving."

"_Charm_ him?" I protested.

But Albus had already pushed himself away from the table, and was disappearing into the mad, Friday evening Hogwarts crowd.


	6. Chapter 6

"Good evening, Rose Weasley." A delicate voice spoke.

I had been standing in the hallway beside the Gryffindor portrait, staring at my shoes and trying not to panic. It was 8:29, and Scorpius Malfoy was nowhere to be seen. Instead, when I looked up, I saw a very pretty blonde witch.

She was an inch or two smaller than me, and very thin- almost frail looking. Her eyes were wide forget-me-nots, and her glossy lips twitched slightly upward, as though she were trying not to laugh at some secret joke. Her robes were trimmed in green and silver, and her hands were folded gently in front of her.

"Good evening. I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage," I said.

Her lips twitched even more, and her eyes sparkled brilliantly. I could feel myself begin to blush, and I had to look away.

"For now, you can call me Vela," the girl said. "Please, follow me."

"I'm sorry, but I promised to meet someone."

"I know. I'm here to take you to Scorpius."

I blinked in surprise. I'd thought this meeting would be to exchange secrets. Surely, sending another girl to fetch me would defeat that purpose. But, I reasoned, perhaps he and this girl were close. She looked enough like Scorpius to be a relative- perhaps a younger cousin.

She smiled openly at my puzzled expression, and took my hand, pulling me down the hallway.

We walked in silence for a long while, the clicking of our heels echoing on the stone floors. Still holding hands, we walked down one staircase and up another. Then we stopped halfway up a third staircase, and waited until it began to move.

"This staircase only moves on Friday evening," she said. The staircase stopped, and we stepped off into a hallway with no doors. A richly detailed, but slightly faded tapestry of a silver unicorn decorated the far wall.

"You're going to learn several secrets tonight," Vela said. "Here is the first; touch the unicorn."

I nodded and reached out, stroking the unicorn's threaded mane. He moved then, rearing up, and a sudden draft swept through the hall, which was strong enough to move the heavy tapestry aside. Behind the tapestry was an oak door.

The blonde stepped forward. "Vela."

At the sound of her name, the door opened.

We stepped through together, and the door closed behind us. I found myself in a small, octagonal room, with each wall covered in bookshelves. On each side of the room stood a table, crowded with cauldrons, vials, and strange instruments that wouldn't seem out of place in a 1950s science fiction movie. They _pinged_ and _whirred_ as the cauldrons bubbled, and the scents of many potions assaulted my senses.

I turned slowly, examining every mystery in detail. There didn't seem to be any doors or stairways.

"Where is Scorpius?"

"He's right here," Vela said.

I turned around, and saw Vela pick up a flask at the end of a table. She looked me in the eyes and sighed.

"I'm taking a chance, Rose," she said. "Please, don't disappoint me."

Vela opened her mouth, and downed the contents in a single gulp.

#

I watched Vela for a moment, silent, as the _pings_ and _whirs_ seemed to grow louder. She stood before me, unchanged.

Or- wait- was she? She had been shorter than me a few moments before, but now we stood head to head. Her nose seemed just a little larger, and her swan-like neck was no longer so delicate. Her chest...

I could hear myself gasp. "_Scorpius?"_

"I told you it was a good secret."

I stepped closer, and took the flask. "Wow- you invented a sex-changing potion. Instead of turning into someone else, like with polyjuice, you just become a female version of yourself. That's pretty impressive."

Scorpius laughed. "Yes, it would be, if I'd invented it. Unfortunately, Borage stole my idea a few centuries ago."

"Oh- so what's the secret, then?"

I looked up to see Scorpius gaping at me. He opened his mouth and closed it again a few times, but no sound came out. It was the most un-Malfoy expression I'd ever seen.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, well- that's not exactly the reaction I was expecting, Rose. I'm standing in front of you, wearing women's robes and raspberry flavoured lip gloss. A few moments ago, I had breasts. You used to be my academic rival, you know. I thought you'd catch on."

"Oh. _Oh. _Are you telling me that you're transgender?"

"You know, Rose, sometimes I wonder if you're speaking another language," Scorpius laughed again- a strained, nervous giggle, far from the crystalline laugh I'd heard earlier that day.

"Oh- you know- it's a muggle word," I said.

Scorpius sat down on a stool at the table. "Muggles- this doesn't have anything to do with _them. _It's all me. I found this laboratory by accident, one day- in my third year. I've never slept very well, and I like to explore the castle. I think this used to be Rowena Ravenclaw's laboratory. It hadn't been touched for ages when I found the place, but there's some sort of enchantment that keeps it stocked. Every ingredient I needed would appear on one of the tables. The fires under the cauldrons would light whenever I needed them. This whole place seemed to have been waiting for me to bring it back to life.

"And as I spent more time here- _I _seemed to come to life, as well. I don't have to worry about Slytherin politics or petty rumors, here. I can be as strange as I like. My life- my _skin- _doesn't seem to fit me, there.

Scorpius took another flask, and drank.

"But here," Vela's soft voice said as she gestured toward her delicate curves, "it fits perfectly."


End file.
